Most of the fun old speakers from the 1980s and earlier had paper speaker cones, which actually sound(ed) really nice.
However, the paper from the speaker cones and the rubber surrounds have nearly all rotted away at this point. If there are capacitors in the crossovers, those may need replacing too.
So unfortunately resurrecting old vintage speakers (a noble and worthwhile thing!) from thrift stores is often more involved than refinishing the box.
However if you're willing to put in some legwork, scroll through lots of crap, and deal with safety concerns, you can get some nice higher end gear on Craigslist. (A decent seller will understand you need to demo the speakers to make sure they work)
However, the paper from the speaker cones and the rubber surrounds have nearly all rotted away at this point. If there are capacitors in the crossovers, those may need replacing too.
So unfortunately resurrecting old vintage speakers (a noble and worthwhile thing!) from thrift stores is often more involved than refinishing the box.
However if you're willing to put in some legwork, scroll through lots of crap, and deal with safety concerns, you can get some nice higher end gear on Craigslist. (A decent seller will understand you need to demo the speakers to make sure they work)